WBEK-CA

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WBEK-CA

Augusta, Georgia
Channels	16 (UHF) analog
Affiliations	America One
Owner	AVN, Inc.
Founded	March 28, 1985
Former callsigns	W67BE (1985-1995)
Former affiliations	WB 1995-1999 UPN 1999-2004
Website	www.wbek.com

WBEK-CA is a low-power television station in Augusta, Georgia, broadcasting locally on UHF channel 16 as an affiliate of America One.

[edit] History

The license for W67BE was first granted on March 28, 1985. Little is known about this early period in the station's history, but it was the first Augusta Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate before the emergence of WFXG in the early '90s. The station would eventually re-make itself, and on January 2, 1995 the station signed on as WBEK-LP, an affiliate of The WB on channel 67. During this period, the station was known locally as "The WB on WBEK 67".

In 1999, WBAU 23, a local affiliate of The WB 100+ signed on, appearing on cable systems in the Augusta area, after a period in which there was no WB affiliate in Augusta. Having lost the affiliation with The WB, WBEK became an affiliate of UPN, and for a few years sold advertising on WBAU, before it went to WRDW (this changed hands once more before The WB 100+ was done away with due to The CW). In 2000, the station moved to its present channel location, UHF channel 16.

After the affiliation switch, the station attempted to maintain its status as a "top" local affiliate. The station's move to channel 16 had come with a loss in power, and viewership began to decline. The station picked up a secondary affiliation with America One during this period. In 2004, the station lost the UPN affiliation to WRDW's digital subchannel 31.2 (UPN Augusta).

As an affiliate of America One, the station carries old sitcoms, black and white western movies, paid programming, and independent productions to fill up its time slots.

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in the Augusta, Georgia market (Nielsen DMA #115)
WJBF 6 (ABC) - WRDW 12 (CBS) (MNTV on DT2) - WBEK 16 (A1) - WEBA 14 (PBS/SCETV) - WCES 20 (PBS/GPB) - WAGT 26 (NBC) (The CW on DT2) - WFXG 54 (FOX) (The Tube on DT2)